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Sunday, September 13, 2015

Amazing Morning Bike Ride

Sometimes God shows His amazing
handiwork when I least expect it. I have
lived in the U.P. for over 11 years (not
counting my growing up years) where I am surrounded by trees, water and
wildlife.I don’t think I take it for granted….and yet, a summer bike ride caught me
off guard.

My husband and I love our bike rides for the exercise and for the time we can spend together enjoying the sweetness of every day "marriage moments". We decided to take a quick spin around our beach/park/marina area. For those of you unfamiliar with our town, we have the wonderful privilege of living in a community that sits on a bay coming in from Lake Michigan.

The sun was shining, the water was
sparkling and the breeze was just enough to keep the temperature nearly perfect.
When August arrives in this part of the world, we can feel autumn whispering in
our ears.There is a subtle shift; the
mornings have a slight chill (with evenings dipping into the 50’s) but the days
are warm and comfortable.

We rode our bikes past the boats in
the marina, observing a few folks out and about, including two women preparing
to do some fishing from their kayaks.It
was a quiet morning but soon the paddle boards and kayaks would be available
for rental and the already beautiful harbor would become even more colorful.

And then there is the wildlife.That same morning Charlie got a call from one
of our boys whose home is located on a beachfront lot; a skunk was caught in
the trap Charlie had set and it had sprayed the area.Len headed to work and Charlie went out to his house to deal with the
situation.My husband came back with a
definite skunk odor clinging to his clothes.God surely was creative when He gave skunks such a unique way of
protecting themselves!

God’s handiwork is nothing less than
amazing and I have been so very blessed to live amidst it all!In my limited human thinking I can’t imagine
how God could possibly top this creative act!However, the Bible reminds us that one day there will be a brand new earth.Revelation, chapter 21, describes the
glorious plans God has for His children.If this present earth is so incredible (except for skunks and bats!), I
have to wonder…. How could He possibly “do one better”? Maybe
it’s because God Himself will be
dwelling with us (!) and there will be nothing to hold us back from full out
joyful living.No sin…no pain…no
crime…no sickness. Wow!

I love the encouragement in 1
Corinthians 2:9, “No eye has seen, no
ear has heard, no mind hasconceived
what God has prepared for those who love him…”Psalm 96: 11 says, “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be
glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it.”God’s creativity is without limits; He has
gifted us every day through His creation…..and the living out of the final
chapter of His book is still ahead of us!Hallelujah!